Thursday 5/19, from Villafranca del Bierzo

Stayed last night in Columbianos, a suburb of Ponferrada, in a village strangely adjacent to an industrial estate, but as I mentioned in my previous post, both yesterday's and today's walks were superb.
This morning's marker was unique: St. James (Santiago) on one side, a crucifix on the other.



In Columbianos they are offering the storks a pole rather than the church bell tower, and the storks have obliged. There are also several dozen smaller birds hanging out in the lower parts of the huge nest :-)



B found a panaderia close to his heart, the round loaves look just like the ones he creates!



This beautiful little church was in Camponaraya, it is obviously well loved and supported by its parishioners.







We stopped for a mid-morning juice and chat with some German folks, one couple was from Freiburg, where our son went to university, they were on their third Camino. They took our picture, we took theirs, and we ought to have traded!


Oddly, Villafranca del Bierzo is full of monumental buildings and churches that are not open to view. Below is the Palace of the Marqueses (dukes??) damaged in the 19th century and not rebuilt.


The Iglesia Colegiata, which is apparently open sometimes but not when we went by this evening........


This is a former church and pilgrim refugio that is now a very nice albergue.


Interestingly, you can see the neon overlay of Christ crucified, we didn't stay up to find out if it lights up.


Finally, B says I have to comment on the preservation of the Roman style streets.


He's certain they are just to burden tired peregrino feet. I prefer to end with a couple of shots from this evening's walk, this is the municipal public garden -


And finally, a shot of our room overlooking the beautiful Rio Burbia, our window is in the middle level, just at upper right of the little "roof" bit in the first level.


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